Whats the story, Dorney glory?
WAY back in the mists of time before London was awarded the 2012 Olympic Games, the IOC sent their inspectors round all five of the short-listed cities to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses. During their visit they made sure they saw every proposed venue and location for the 26 different sports. I was assigned to one bus that stopped at Wimbledon, the proposed venue for tennis, Hyde Park for triathlon and Dorney for the rowing. Even in the cold February light the rowing lake near Windsor looked stunning, steely grey water stretching away from the wood-clad boathouse. All of it brand new, all of it built for one purpose. The inspectors were impressed — it was easy to tell because, just like at Wimbledon, they had no questions. Last week the lake fulfilled part of that promise. Given the chance to host the second-most prestigious rowing gathering in the calendar, it has performed in style. The wind and water, even in the teeth of a British summer, have remained fair if testing for t
